SHOCK Poll: ‘Only 71% of American blacks approve of the Emancipation Proclamation’

The New York Times had a much talked about piece the other day titled “Measuring Donald Trump’s Supporters Measure for Intolerance” that attempted to paint his supporters as a bunch of racists. One excerpt from a YouGov online poll cited by the article, in particular, made for many a breathless headline as it basically accused Trump supporters of being OK with slavery:

Nationally, further analyses of the YouGov data show a similar trend: Nearly 20 percent of Mr. Trump’s voters disagreed with Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in the Southern states during the Civil War. Only 5 percent of Mr. Rubio’s voters share this view.

Here’s something that might put things in perspective: If you dig deep into the confusing Economist/YouGov online poll, you find that only 71% of American blacks approve of the Emancipation Proclamation. Five percent definitely disapprove of Lincoln’s action and 24% just aren’t sure.

Maybe that 29% of African Americans is waiting to see how the whole experiment with a slavery-free America turns out. After all, it has only been a century and a half. Still early days.

Everyone is a racist! Or — and this is more likely — online polls are garbage and should not be used to write stories in the New York Times.